William Saliba’s Suspension Could Push Mikel Arteta to Revisit Costly Arsenal Defensive Strategy Against Liverpool

Arsenal star William Saliba will miss his side’s upcoming trip to Anfield due to suspension.

Mikel Arteta will be forced to adjust Arsenal’s defensive lineup ahead of the weekend clash with Liverpool following Saliba’s suspension.

The French defender received a straight red card during the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday, after a VAR review determined that he denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

The incident occurred when Saliba brought down Evanilson, who was chasing a loose pass from Leandro Trossard.

Saliba has been a key figure in Arsenal’s defense for several seasons, and his absence in such a critical match is likely to be significant.

Arteta, however, will be looking for one of his other defenders to step up in Saliba’s absence. Ben White, who has previously played as a centre-back early in his Arsenal career, is a strong candidate to fill the gap.

While defenders like Riccardo Calafiori, Jakub Kiwior, and Jurrien Timber are also capable of stepping into the role, White, who previously partnered Gabriel in defence, seems the most likely option to replace Saliba.

While Ben White is comfortable playing centrally and has an established partnership with Gabriel, moving him away from the right-back position presents a significant challenge.

In 2021, Arsenal faced a tough test when they visited Liverpool with White and Gabriel as their centre-back pairing during a Premier League match.

Liverpool won convincingly, 4-0, with Sadio Mane opening the scoring in the first half. Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah, and Takumi Minamino added to the scoreline, leaving Arsenal exposed.

The pairing of White and Gabriel struggled against Liverpool’s fluid attack. Jota’s movement drew them into uncomfortable positions, creating space for Liverpool’s wingers, which Jurgen Klopp’s side exploited effectively.

Arsenal’s defence has since improved, with their shift to a back-four of natural centre-backs contributing to their stability. However, manager Mikel Arteta will likely remember the difficulties Arsenal faced that night at Anfield three years ago.

White himself hasn’t forgotten that challenging encounter with Jota, recently naming the forward as one of his most difficult opponents during an interview with Sky Sports.

“Jota, really good. When you play against him, you don’t realise how quick he is, strong, he’s obviously technically really, really good.”

The defender will have gained valuable lessons from that heavy defeat against Liverpool and will be eager to make amends for that performance, working alongside Gabriel if selected by his manager to play at centre-back.

In other news, “There’s No Need…” – BBC Pundit Drops Honest Verdict on Arsenal Star Saliba’s Red Card Against Bournemouth